Monday, March 14, 2011

We, the Afghan Political refugees stand in Propilaia Panepitstimiou, since November 22nd 2010 and we are trying to receive a response on our request for political asylum.
Afghanistan is a country that has been suffering for decades from war and conflict...s, not only from the inside terrorizing regime of the Taliban, but from the outside “helpers” too, which are “trying” for years now to bring peace. The government is just a puppet and is functioning like a dictatorship. It seems that the NATO forces are not able to overthrow the Taliban, but why? Because clearly that is not their goal. So, the inhabitants of our country are suffering from terrorist attacks, assassinations, looting, kidnapping. Instead of living in terror, we are forced to abandon everything and we have to move away. The worst thing is that no one cares about us and if we go back to Afghanistan, probably most of us are going to be killed.
Since there is no response from anyone after living in Greece for so many years, 9 of us have made the hardest choice. Since December 29th 2010, they have started a hunger strike, and they stiched their lips together, because that might be the only way to be heard and receive a response to their request for political asylum, which they are actually entitled to, according to international treaties and humanitarian reasons because Afghanistan is at war at the moment.
We are feeling like we do not belong anywhere and the hunger strike is our last resort. Our only intention is to live free and peacefully and coexist with Greek people under mutual respect.
We asked the comity of Vironas to look over our request with priority to the hunger strikers, whose lives are at stake and they finally did. The doctors said that the strikers could not live much longer and they should at least drink some juice in order to survive. Political asylum is our only hope and the only way for us to have a normal and decent life someday.
That is why we have contacted the Ministry of Civilian’s Protection and several others ministries and institutes, we have sent an official letter to the Parliament and we have gathered more than 10.000 signatures from people declaring that they stand by our effort for political asylum.
We are asking for the understanding and the support from Greek people. It will help us a lot if you call the Ministry of Civilian’s Protection in the following number and ask about us and our request.
210-6924558 &210-6977000—fax: 210-6929764
thank you very mach